His Heart Bonus Scenes

Maddie goes to university: Charlie

"Please don't cry, Papá." Maddie said, as she helped me load boxes into the car.

"My baby girl is going to university and abandoning me." I sighed. "When else am I supposed to cry?"

"But if you cry, I'll cry." She said, her voice catching.

Lizzie headed outside with another box whilst the boys waited in the hallway.

"You sure you want all of us to come with you?" She asked.

"Of course." Maddie said.

"Ok. I'll get our car loaded up. I'll take the boys and anything you can't fit in your car, and you can ride with Maddie." Lizzie told me, as I frowned at the jigsaw puzzle of boxes I was trying to load into the car.

"Good idea." I said. "Maybe we can get lunch when we get there."

Maddie helped me load everything into the car before hauling what was left into Lizzie's car.

"Come on boys." She called into the house. "Time to go."

There was the sound of running feet and three little faces peeked around the front door. It was almost comical.

"Come on. You three are riding with Mummy today." Lizzie said, lifting them into the car. "What's that, Leo?"

"A surprise." I heard him reply as I got into the driver's seat and looked at Maddie.

"Ready?" I asked.

"As I'll ever be." She replied, grinning.

We pulled out of the drive and started driving, and I just focused on the road as hard as I could to stop the tears from flowing before we even said goodbye.

~*~

"Papá, do you think I'll make friends easily?" Maddie asked, her eyes wide as we drove into town.

"I know you will." I assured her. "Just be yourself. When they get to know you, they'll adore you just as much as I do."

"What if I don't get on with my flatmates?" She asked.

"You will." I assured. "And if you don't, you'll meet other people and make friends. I promise."

She was quiet for a minute or two.

"Do you think Mamá's watching?" She asked.

I smiled. "I know she is."

I pulled up outside the university and looked around for Lizzie and the boys who had to park elsewhere.

"Let's go and find the office." I suggested. "We can collect your key."

I pocketed the little box I had as I got out of the car and followed Maddie as she headed towards a big glass entrance.

"Hello, are you enrolling today?" The receptionist asked with a friendly smile.

"Yes. Madeline Sanchez." My daughter gave her name and looked around the building, her hands fluttering at her sides.

The receptionist flipped through files until she reached Maddie's name.

"Ah yes, flat D2. Here's your key and card to enter the building. The buildings are all labelled." She handed Maddie an envelope with the flat number written on it and we thanked her and left.

We waited outside for Lizzie and the boys whilst Maddie looked around the university at all the tall buildings.

"What if I get lost?" She asked, bewildered.

"Then you just need to ask someone where the building is." I said. "You just need confidence, cariño, I promise you'll be ok."

I looked over where Lizzie was headed towards us with the boys in tow.

"Everything ok?" Lizzie asked.

"Yep. The flat should be this way." I led the way to a building with lots of windows. People were scurrying in and out of the glass doors and Lizzie smiled.

"This place looks nice." She said. "I'll start bringing boxes over whilst you get settled."

She disappeared to the car with the boys leaving me alone with Maddie.

She held the key card hesitantly over the door.

"You promise it'll be ok?" She asked, turning to look at me once more.

"I promise."

"Ok. Then let's do this." She said, waving the card until it beeped and opening the door to her new life.

~*~

"You must be Maddie." A young girl with red hair said, pulling my surprised daughter into a hug. "I'm Chrissy. We're going to have so much fun together."

My daughter smiled and hugged her back for about a nanosecond before pulling away.

"Nice to meet you." She said.

"Laura is supposed to arrive later so you'll meet her soon, and Ben is arriving in the evening. Until then it's just you and me. We can use the time to get to know each other. Do you want help unpacking?"

This girl talked a mile a minute. I smiled at Maddie's bewildered expression.

"Um, sure. Thanks." She managed to get out.

Chrissy beamed and looked up at me as if for the first time.

"Hello, I'm Chrissy. Do you want any help bringing up her stuff?"

I laughed. "No, I think we've got it, niña. I'll let you two get to know each other. Maddie, can I have your card so I can get back into the building?"

My daughter shot me a terrified look and I smiled reassuringly at her before taking her card and disappearing down the stairs.

Lizzie and the boys waited outside with bags and I smiled.

"How long have you been out here?"

"A few minutes. I forgot we'd need the key to get back in." Lizzie said with a grin.

I held the door open as they entered one by one.

"Top floor, room on the left." I told them. "The door's open."

The four of them disappeared upstairs and I smiled, hopefully they could reassure Maddie. Chrissy seemed lovely enough. A little loud, but that wasn't a bad thing. Maybe she could help bring Maddie out of her shell.

At least Thomas would be joining her soon. She had been so relieved when she found out he had applied to the same university, more by chance than design. He had wanted to do law at this school long before he and Maddie had gotten together.

I picked up another box and turned around to where Lizzie was standing, brushing away a tear.

"I'm going to miss her." She said.

"So am I." I agreed. "But she'll be ok."

She smiled. "Of course she will. You've prepared her well."

"We both have."

I pecked her on the lips before heading back into the building, wondering if Jasmine was looking and thinking about how proud she would be if I could see her right now.

We did it, Jasmine. Our little girl is at university. I thought.

You did it, cariño. I'm so proud. Of all of you.

I smiled. I would miss my daughter more than anything. But she would be ok. She was strong and brave and beautiful.

Just like her Mamá.